Another Recommendation for Prospective Linux Converters

It's one I knew about but hadn't noticed or thought about in a long time, because when I want to install Linux on a computer, I:

1. Look into various distributions online for the features I want;
2. Download a disk image of the distribution I choose;
3. Burn that image to a USB flash drive;
4. Boot my machine from that USB flash drive;
5. Check out the distribution and, if I like it, use the "install" option to permanently install Linux on my hard drive.

I had basically forgotten that there's a cheap (and less time-consuming) way to shorten the process:

1. Look online for a USB flash drive that already has Linux on it (they generally run $15-$25);
2. Order it and wait for it to arrive;
3. Go to step 4 in the previous sequence.

Since I haven't used the one I'm about to discuss myself I can't necessarily recommend it, but in terms of bang for buck:

I see that Amazon offers a 64 Gb USB flash drive with 17 different operating systems -- Windows 11 and 16 Linux distributions -- on it, and supposedly that flash drive boots into a menu that lets you choose whatever one you want to run direct from the USB to audition and maybe install.

It's $21 (not an affiliate link).

You can try out all of those Linux distributions right from the USB (they will probably run a little slower from USB than they would if installed to your regular hard drive) without affecting your computer's permanent setup. That way you get to know for sure you like one before you commit.

And when you do commit, you can either keep that flash drive in the ol' drawer in case you ever want to change or need to reinstall, or just format it and have an extra 64Gb flash drive for other uses. It looks like empty flash drives of that size cost nearly as much, so the whole thing seems like a no-way-to-lose proposiation.

Preemptive note to pseudonymous trolls who pretend they don't use Chinese stuff: According to Amazon's AI, "the specific country of manufacture isn't listed on the product page." My guess would be that the drive itself is Chinese; where the people who put the distros on it and resell it are located is anyone's guess.

Wordle 1745 Hint

Hint: Halley's comes around every 75 years or so.

Not Enough? Get the first letter of today's Wordle after the ad below.

New to Wordle? You can play it at the New York Times, and here are some thoughts on how I go about solving each day's puzzle.

First Letter: C

Motorcycle Maintenance Time Coming Up ...

The Italica Bulldog 150 is about to hit 3,000 miles. That may be the last time I take it to the shop for regular maintenance. I'm fully capable of changing the oil (and, when needed, gear oil) myself, but after the mods I had the shop do, the guy wants to look at the variator upgrade (w/kevlar belt) at 3k anyway, so I'll just have it all done.

Especially since it's using a little oil (about 1/4 of a quart since it hit 2k). I haven't found a leak, but it's going somewhere.

I've had both the Bulldog (twice) and the Lifan KP Mini 150 (once) out for fairly short trips the last few days.

Both Bulldog trips involved carrying stuff back from a store, and the Bulldog is permanently set up for that with the built-in storage compartment and the rear top box I've been keeping on it. To carry anything substantial on the KP Mini I either have to put on saddlebags or wear a backpack. Which I will do if I'm making a 100+ mile trip that's mostly highway, but not for a 2-10 mile trip that involves low-speed-limit streets. I ran the KP Mini out to a store just now, but it wasn't for anything that wouldn't fit in its small tail bag; I mostly just like to make sure it gets out and about at least once a week.

Embarrassingly, I laid the Bulldog down on one outing. No damage to me or the bike. I was on the cowpath between our house and the paved road, going maybe five miles an hour, when I perceived a need to stop (because my phone rang -- one of the kids reminding me of an item to get at the store) just as the rear wheel was doing one of its little slaloms in the sand and I braked. My foot came down in soft sand as the bike stopped -- exactly the way I put down the old 50cc scooter a few years ago. I think I may start putting my phone on silent when I ride.